New Strain Of Norovirus Hits Hard

CDC Reports A Sharp Spike In Norovirus Cases

(CBS)  Major outbreaks of norovirus have been reported nationwide this season. In addition to nursing homes, outbreaks have overwhelmed colleges, prisons, elementary schools, and cruise ships. Preliminary studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show at least 60 percent of the outbreaks this winter were of a new strain, the Minerva II, named after the cruise ship upon which it was first detected.

Medical practitioners are not required by law to report cases of norovirus and sometimes people recover at home without visiting the doctor, so there exists no official tally on exactly how many more cases of Minerva II norovirus have occurred compared to previous seasons.

Nevertheless, the surge in outbreaks this winter season piqued the interest of federal health officials, who gathered together to assess the magnitude of the norovirus outbreaks. In a few weeks, the CDC will be issuing a report with more details on Minerva II.

CDC epidemiologist Dr. Marc-Alain Widdowson, who is studying the new strain, says that, until now, most people have downplayed the nature of the "stomach flu," a misnomer in this situation because the norovirus has nothing to do with influenza.

"But the more we looked into this," says Widdowson, "the more we realized people can really get quite sick from the norovirus, and in some cases have to go to the physician to get rehydrated or stay overnight in the hospital."

The elderly and the sick are the most vulnerable to the dangers of dehydration, which may contribute to death. Two patients, who were already battling major health problems, passed away during the norovirus outbreak at Hebrew SeniorLife.

Norovirus mutations are different from the development of increasingly resistant bacteria, which doctors attribute to the overuse of manmade antibiotics. Researchers like Widdowson at the CDC are trying to explain the surge in norovirus not only in the United States, but worldwide, but they have no answer yet.

Dr. Schreiber says the emerging presence of organisms more resistant and contagious than ever before has the facilitating expecting more outbreaks, to the point where Hebrew Seniorlife is working with state and regional leadership to develop protocol on how to deal with outbreaks.

"It really does humble you to think that, in spite of the fact that you’re doing the best care, or trying to accomplish that, something like this can happen at a moment's notice," Schreiber said.

[gomanny1]

when I started noticing the majority of people leaving the washroom without washing their hands, I knew that was going to be a BIG problem. I clean my hands before and after I use the washrooms!
We're living among Slobs, protect yourself!!!

[piper4ag]

Actually, some people don't get immunity - you can get reinfected from the same strain, same outbreak. It's a very nasty bug.

[rohink-2009]

jb3boyz,

Good post. I would also like to add something to that. Doctors prescribing antibiotics for every sniffle and ear ache. Not to mention all the anti-bacterial sprays and hand soap. It only kills roughly 99% of germs. What happens to the other 1%? It mutates.

[gmond]

I don't feel good.

[jb3boyz]

This is the danger of NOT finishing off all of your antibiotics when you are truly sick. How many of us have half empty containers of an antibiotic in our medicine cabinet at home, that we did not finish during an infection? Without going into the science behind it (which is long and cofusing to most), the danger is that we are making bacteria resistant to the medicines that we have on the market when we do not completely finish our medications. Ask any doctor or microbioligist the reasoning behind this phenomenon. MRSA is methycillin resistant staph infection - meaning that this strain of staph is no longer knocked out by methycillin, which was what we used to use against it. It is extremely dangerous and hard to get rid of now, even if you are young and very healthy. Hopefully we can educate people to finish their medication when they are sick.